Tag: Birding

My 2024 outdoor adventures, by the numbers

Another year come and gone.

It’s time to get nerdy and put some numbers to my time in the outdoors in the past year.

I am sincerely delighted by how many of you check out this article each year. It makes me less conscious about my tedious number keeping.

For those of you who may be new to this tradition, I share this information to provide some context to the articles I post on this site each year. It is important to me that you know the depth of my experiences in the outdoors that my perspectives are rooted in.

Here is a look at how my 2024 shook out, by the numbers:

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Is it ethical to feed birds?

When my wife and I bought our first home, I knew I wanted to put a bird feeder in our backyard. I greatly desired having a little slice of nature in the middle of our town.

As someone who tries to be conservation-minded, before I went to the hardware store and bought all of the necessary supplies, I stopped to ponder a question I still ask myself to this day: “Is it OK to feed wild birds?”

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Take advantage of Wisconsin winter duck-watching

Most birds fly south in winter. That’s a simple fact many of us are taught at a young age.

But, you see, “south” is a relative term. For many species of waterfowl, Wisconsin is about as south as their migratory journey reaches. After all, each winter odyssey has a different starting point and migration is a two-way street. While many of our familiar species leave the Midwest during colder months, new, less familiar ones also arrive.

If you want an example of this, all you have to do is grab your binoculars and head to the largest section of open water you can find during the winter months. I’m willing to bet you will be amazed by the sights that are likely to greet you.

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Tips for squirrel-proofing your bird feeder

Squirrels and bird feeders go hand-in-hand. While the occasional visit from a furry friend is delightful for most people, the frequent presence of squirrels around your feeders can quickly become a nuisance. Not only can these critters eat you out of house and home, their rodent acrobatics can damage feeders. These factors can end up costing you time and money.

Here are some tips for squirrel-proofing your bird feeders and keeping the peace in your yard.

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Nathan Woelfel Outdoors Podcast – Episode 14: Birding and the importance of citizen science

It’s Episode 14 of the Nathan Woelfel Outdoors Podcast!

Nick Anich, Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator – Bureau of Natural Heritage for the Wisconsin DNR, joins the show to discuss birding and highlight the benefits of utilizing the eBird app.

Nathan and Nick discuss bird feeders, how to get into birding, and the impact of citizen science.

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Caring for the birds in your yard

If you have a bird feeder or bird bath on your property, there are several steps you can take to care for the birds in your yard.

Avian diseases are a threat to all types of bird species and, if you’re not paying close attention, your yard can become a breeding ground for some of these ailments.

In summer of 2021, reports surfaced that a mysterious illness was killing off a variety of birds in portions of the Midwest and South.

This sickness impacted a variety of birds that frequent backyards and feeder areas including: common grackles, European starlings, and blue jays — species that are commonly found in Wisconsin.

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